How Gift Cards Can Help You Save Money

There are two main ways you can save money with gift cards: One has to do with buying them, and the other has to do with using them. Read on for more information.

Use only gift cards while shopping
Shopping with gift cards can be an extremely effective budgeting tool. Determine your monthly expenses (go beyond rent and utilities) and place them into categories such as groceries, pharmacy, household items, auto maintenance, clothing and more. Next to each, list the stores where you most frequently shop, starting or listing first your top-choice vendor. Buy a gift card and shop for your items at that store using only the gift card. It will save you from overspending on any given category.

Buy discounted gift cards
To take even better advantage of gift cards as a budgeting tool, you can buy those gift cards at a fraction of the normal cost. How? People often utilize online auction sites such as eBay to sell off cards that they know they won’t use. Peruse your options there or visit an online gift card exchange site such as CardHub, CardCash, Cardpool or GiftCards.com.

Herb Weisbaum of CNBC also recommends checking big-box, bulk retailers such as Costco to find gift cards being sold at less than face value. Additionally, don’t forget to check into your loyalty program or credit card reward points — they are also good sources for gift cards on the cheap, and some even offer them at a redeemed-point discount!

“This is a great untapped resource for savings,” said Bankrate.com’s Janna Herron in a CNBC article. “It’s an easy way to stretch your rewards and your…budget, and maybe use up points or miles that are about to expire.”

Finally, keep an eye out at the shops you frequent for any discounts or promotions they may be having — especially during the holiday season, when there is a big push to get people to come back into their stores once the holidays are wrapped.

Both buying discounted gift cards and using them to stay on budget are great ways to cut prices on purchases you are going to have to make anyway — so what are you waiting for?

Used with Permission. Published by IMN Bank Adviser Includes copyrighted material of IMakeNews, Inc. and its suppliers.